Panaji: People in Divar Island are agitated as the Sao Mathias panchayat is charging Rs 10 extra from residents as streetlight tax while paying the house tax.
Speaking to Divar residents, it has come to light that many people have objected to it and questioned the panchayat as to why only Sao Mathias (Malar) panchayat is charging streetlight tax when another panchayat in Divar Island, the village panchayat of Goltin-Navelim is not charging.
The sarpanch of Sao Mathias panchayat, Mohan Volvoikar confirmed that Rs 10 is being charged from the residents but raising his voice against it without putting it before the gram sabha, the panchayat cannot withdraw the tax.
Speaking to this daily, Volvoikar said that either it should be put before the gram sabha or village development committee for withdrawal adding “Let those people who are opposing the tax come forward and put it before the gram sabha, then we will see”.
“We need to take a resolution at the gram sabha and then act accordingly and abolish it,’’ added the sarpanch.
“You know, income generated by Sao Mathias Village Panchayat is less than Rs 70,000 and there is no other means for income generation. We use this money for village developmental works only and not for any other purpose,’’ he said.
Financial position of the village panchayat is so pathetic that no grants are coming from the government and since the last two years the panchayat is suffering from paucity of funds after the COVID pandemic, he revealed.
An enquiry in Goltim-Navelim village panchayat revealed that street light tax was being charged when the panchayat had to buy fixtures and other materials at their own cost, but now everything is done by the government and so they have abolished the tax.
The post Residents of Sao Mathias VP up in arms against imposition of streetlight tax appeared first on The Navhind Times.
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